I have not written in a long time, but then again few people have actually read my blog posts.
I have been quite anxious lately and been smoking more usual.
There is a lot to be anxious about in the world today. The financial crisis, global warming and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Yet, I am not directly involved with these things and therefore can do little to better these situations. So why let it bother me then?
I should rather focus on doing something meaningful today, however small, and stop worrying about things over which I have no control.
That is an anxiety tip I should follow more often.
There, I feel a little better already.
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November 8, 2008 at 1:59 pm
astramillie
I think sometimes when anxiety attacks its easier to worry about things completely out of your control. I know I end up doing that. I’d like to know if you are able to find an activity to decrease your anxiety levels to see if I could follow your example. My anxiety levels have been so high I’m almost paralyzed.
November 8, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Daniel
Thank you for your comment.
Here is the thing. I usually tend to smoke more cigarettes when I am anxious because I find it difficult to just sit down and do something that distracts my attention away from my racing thoughts. If I have the time, I usually like to sleep it off for an hour or two, just to kind of “reboot” my conscious mind. I am generally calmer after having a rest. However, this is not always possible.
Something else I do that helps is to pick up a magazine or book and just start reading from front to back. I find that the most difficult moments are to just start reading or watching something. My mind is running around in circles and it takes effort at the beginning to decide to do something to occupy my mind. Once I am reading, I tend to be more relaxed and forget about worries and fears for a short while.
It also takes awhile for me to get to sleep at night. I have found that having a bedtime routine helps a lot to calm my mind and prepare it for rest. These days I usually practice a form of zen meditation for 10 or 15 minutes before turning of the light.
Zen meditation (to sit in concentration) is about concentrating your mind upon your breathing, a koan or just your awareness. This is actually a practical way of calming your thoughts. Your conscious thoughts are likened to a monkey that keeps jumping from branch to branch, never sitting still in one place for more than a few seconds. That is how our thoughts are as well. The purpose of zen meditation is generally to train this monkey to be still and silent so we may see who we truly are. I can recommend this to you.
I sometimes lie on my back and just take deep breaths. Inhale deeply, hold your breath for 1, 2, 3 counts and exhale completely. 10 minutes or more also helps to calm me down. To breathe deeply you have to let your diaphragm (just below your navel) rise when breathing in and fall when breathing out. Shallow breaths are when your chest rises and falls.
Okay, substances to avoid. Cigarettes (a habit I have not grown out of), more than 3 cups of pure coffee a day (instant coffee has less coffee in it), too much sugar. I try to drink enough water and to drink more tea.
Next, some suggested reading for you:
1. http://myanxietydisorder.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/learn-how-to-meditate/
2. http://myanxietydisorder.wordpress.com/2008/06/27/free-anxiety-resource/
3. http://myanxietydisorder.wordpress.com/2008/06/26/deep-breathing-for-less-anxiety/
4. http://www.near-death.com/
You can also use a search engine such as Google or Yahoo to find more information about meditation, exercise, anxiety treatments and so forth. Try to remember that only applied knowledge is power. I often forget this.
This is what I try to do. I hope you can find something to help calm you down when anxiety attacks.
Feel free to reply to this comment if you have a question or some feedback to share.
Don’t give up.
“There is no joy but calm.”
– Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1809-1892, English Lyric Poet